mebeill



(No Model.) 7

J. L. MERRILL.

RAILROAD SG-ALE. No. 286,465. Patented Oct. 9, 1883.v

l FIKWJJ 1 1 162.

i i a l E a; i F a i i i I d r K B I B v I J3 1 g l- E i% tl r '4 g Z i1 E I 1 JNVENTOR Q UNITE STATES RAILROAD-SCALE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,465, dated October9, 1883.

Application filed September 3, 1883. (No model.)

. citizen of the United States, residing in Pottstown, Montgomerycounty, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad-Scales, of which the following is a specifica tion.

The object of my invention is to prevent the shocks which occur when acar is transferred from permanent rails to those on the platform ofrailroad-scales-an object which' is attainec'l in the manner fullydescribed hereinafizer.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of part of theplatform and frame of ordinary railroad-scales; Fig. 2, the same showingmy improvements; and Fig. 3, aperspective view drawn to an enlargedscale, and illustrating my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is part of the platform of ordinaryrailroad-scales, the mechanism of which is contained within a pitbounded by a quadrangular framework composed of substantial end beams,B, and side beams, D D, the platform carrying rails E E, which are inline with but are necessarily detached from the rails G G of thepermanent track.

The platform is supported entirely by mechanism which determines theweight of a car and its contents. tion of the scales may always beassured, there must be gaps d between the platform and the fixed frame,and gaps between the ends of the rails of the platform and the ends ofthe permanent rails. 7

When a car is transferred from the rails of the permanent track to thoseof the platform, severe shocks must always occur when the wheels crossthe said gaps between the rails, and these shocks must necessarily havea deteriorating effect on the weighing mechanism beneath the platform.In' order to obviate this evil, I bridge the said gaps, in the mannershown in Figs. 2 and 3, by extending the rails E E of the platformbeyond the ends of the In order that the proper ac- I same, and bevelingthe extension a a to coincide with the beveled ends I) of the fixedrails G G. These projecting ends of the rails are never in contacteither with the fixed frame by which the pit is bounded or with thepermanent rails, for it will be noted on referring to the enlarged view,Fig. 3, that the beam B of the frame, to which is secured the permanentrail G, is cut away at m beneath the pro jecting beveled end of theplatform-rail E, so that when the platform is slightly depressed onreceiving a loaded car, there can be no fear of the said projecting endsof the rails E coming in contact with the fixed frame. There is also aspace of a quarter of an inch, or thereabout, between the beveled end ofeach platform-rail and the beveled end of the adjoining fixed rail, soas to permit the slight longitudinal play of the plat-form which takesplace when a car is transferred from the main rails to theplatform-rails.

Vhen the tread of a car-wheel first comes into contact with theprojecting end of the platformrail IE, it is not free from contact withthe permanent rail G, and hence the transfer of a car from the permanentrails to those of the platform is accomplished without the shocksattending the transfer of the car onto the ordinary platform, as shownin Fig. 1.

In order to strengthen the projecting ends a of the rail E, I secure toit a bar, a, similar to an ordinary splicing-bam'or there may be two ofsuch bars, one on each side of the rail.

I claim as my invention The combination of the platform A ofrailway-scales and its rails E, having projecting beveled ends a, withthe permanent beveled rails G, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 'two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN L. MERRILL. Witnesses:

HARRY L. ASHENFELTER, HENRY Howson, Jr.

